Russell Brand, the same cocky narcissist as always

British actor and presenter Russell Brand steps out of a black Mercedes in front of the Southwark Crown Court in London. His sunglasses, the tie undone over his chest, the way he adjusts his trousers, and his air of superiority are more reminiscent of a celebrity arriving at Paris Fashion Week than a defendant appearing before the justice system. Brand faces seven charges related to sexual offenses, including three allegations of rape. Six women accuse him of acts that allegedly took place between 1999 and 2009. He maintains he is innocent. In the photograph, his bodyguard is carrying the Bible in his hand. A grotesque detail that has to do with the new image this individual is trying to build for himself following the accusations.

Russell Brand was, for years, one of the most popular stars of British television. A rowdy comedian, a presenter who collaborated with the most prestigious media outlets and landed in Hollywood to continue his path of success. He built his fame by exhibiting an extravagant and sexually provocative personality. In September 2023, a joint investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times and the investigative program Dispatches from Channel 4 revealed the testimony of several women who accused him of rape and sexual assault. Stories that were chilling and revealed a very specific pattern of behavior. The investigation demonstrated how those in charge of the programs he had worked on, both at the BBC and Channel 4, had tolerated unacceptable behavior because at the time they considered it mere eccentricities typical of a celebrity who stirred passions among women. Fame and professional power had served him to abuse his victims. The documentary Russell Brand: in plain sight recovered archival footage that acquired a terrifying meaning after learning the testimony of the accusers. Some had even feared for their lives. As the title said, it was all happening in plain sight.

Brand publicly joked about highly violent sexual practices, humiliated women on camera, and boasted about criminal behaviors that the audience celebrated with applause and laughter. Television had contributed to normalizing his behavior. Only seven months after the impact of this scandal, Brand announced that he had been baptized in the Thames, and declared a personal transformation thanks to his new faith in God. He began acting as a preacher and baptizing other people. He even officiated a baptism in his underwear. He adopted a messianic style and presented himself as a victim persecuted by the media, the same ones that elevated him. An academic study from the University of Birmingham analyzed how Brand's Christian discourse on purification and rebirth allowed him to establish a symbolic separation between the man he was before and the one he claims to be now. But he is the same arrogant narcissist as always and continues to exhibit before the cameras this highly calculated performance of himself, Bible included. Everything continues to happen in plain sight, right before our eyes, under our very noses.